Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It is the one holiday that has, for the most part, not been commercialized by our society. Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the reaping and harvest of the previous season. It is a time to reflect and remember all that we have and have been given. It is a time to welcome others to our table as Christ welcomes us to His table; family, foe, and stranger. Thanksgiving is more than gratitude, it is ‘giftitude’; it is about ‘thanksgifting’ back from all that we have been given.

On the eve of this great American holiday, I am reminded of my childhood patriotized education, about how the Pilgrims and Native Americans ate their corn and turkey, about how these two groups worked, ate, and celebrated together. I am reminded that the land we build upon is a gift from our forefathers who eventually seized the land from a people who respected the land and water, as if it had rights too.

I am reminded that my small town, Papillion, used to have a creek that flowed with crystal clear water that provided ice in winter for the community, a place to ice skate, a place to gather. But now, the creek that once bubbled over with life is a muddy drainage way for street, suburban concrete, and chemical farmland runoff. What was once respected, loved, and cherished has now been forgotten and replaced with a consumerism that more is better. Where once people lived with the land, people now live above it.

This Thanksgiving, let us remember our family members, let us celebrate with those who have come from a distance to join us. Let us remember those in North Dakota fighting to protect all of our water and give thanks for them. And in giving thanks begin to remember that this land is not ours, but only a gift. May our apathy towards the tyranny that threatens to exchange our most valuable resources for quick energy, oil, and consumption that will never be quenched be turned to a compassion that can heal our broken hearts and land.

I will leave you with a poem written about my town, around 1900 by Dr. William Upjohn, M.D. remembering his town Papillion, over 100 years ago.

Papillion Town

On either side of Papillion stream,Where the low winds sigh and the sun-rays gleam,A few small cottages are nestled down,Forming what we call Papillion town,

But a few years have passed awaySince the white man’s feet this way did stray,And many now remember wellThe red man that here were wont to dwell.

Now all are gone; like the leaves that fall…Trampled on and forgotten by all.In place of the wigwams, houses stand, And white man tills the Indian’s land.

The pretty squaws of which legend tellsAre replaced by prettier pale-face belles.The pow-wow, dear to every brave,Is now conducted by our lawyers suave.

Schools and churches now have weIn Papillion village, fair to see;And the railroad trains go rushing throughFleeter than Indian horse or canoe.

Never more will Indian paddles quiverOver the narrow, swift-flowing river.And instead of the savage war-cryThe white mother sings a lullaby.​

-Tree services give us wood chips. We inoculate them with fungi and grow edible mushrooms.-We have turned old tires into staircases, and logs from the forest into raised garden beds.-Construction sites give us throwaway wood and other materials. We build animal housing, farm infrastructure, and share with others.-Restaurants give us food waste. We make soil and feed animals.-Our local community gives us fall leaves, straw bales, and pumpkins. We mulch our gardens, and provide food and bedding for livestock. We have even fed people meals from others’ fall decoration pumpkins!All of these things are wonderful, but they mean nothing without people! People come to Keipos wanting to learn how to grow food and heal land. Through relationship, people are being equipped, empowered, and sent into the world with new lenses and inspiration to make the world a better place!Your waste streams are converted into productive, edible, and beautiful things. Imagine what we could do if you shared with us out of your abundance!#GivingTuesday is just around the corner (next week), a time for giving back with hearts of gratitude. We invite you to join in this global event and support your favorite non-profits, and we invite you to give to Keipos this season. On Tuesday, a $250 donation will go to feed a family in need next year for 20 weeks. Donations as small as $5 will help to provide a meal to a volunteer or Keipos guest. Donations of $1,000 or more will help us to provide 3-day courses devoted to food/farming education for the most impoverished in our community and in Nicaragua.We are so grateful to you who have partnered with us and who will do so this coming season! Make your gift today and through November 29th. We will count all new donations between today and next Tuesday towards #GivingTuesday, and these funds will be directed towards providing food and education for those who need it most.